One of my best friend was diagnosed about 1 year ago with type ll diabetes. She has gone to one of those nutritionists from the hospital who insists that whole wheat and grains are good for her and she still eats, candy and ice-cream.

She has watched me lose more and more weight and says she could "never" give up bread and pasta and insists her nutritionist has no problem with these processed carbs.

My question is this....I know that a low carb lifestyle is great for diabetics and helps control blood sugar, but can it actually reverse diabetes once someone has been diagnosed? Looking for a little ammunition here so I can explain how a LC lifestyle has helped so many on this board in hopes of inspiring her...just want to have my facts straight!

Thanks!!

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376/199/180
I've got a new attitude 12/04/06
And an even newer UPDATED attitude 9/1/2012

Marie, you obviously care greatly for your friend. But all you can do is make your own choices and hopefully your exampl will make a difference for your friend. Your friend told you she could never give up bread and pasta. Expect that she won't.

In my experience, the hospital nutritionists will only stick to the script because, I believe, their philosophy is not to cure their patients but rather to tell them something they want to hear. Because people will not change their eating habits unless they want to.

Diabetes is not reversible at this time. The pancreas becomes increasingly less capable of doing what it must with time, for all of us, but especially those with diabetes. We can manage the diabetes much better with diet and exercise, to a point.

If your friend is on medication to manage her blood sugar, then she is helping her pancreas do it's job. She may rather do that than deal with cutting carbs. Her pancreas may be in a state such that she must use the medication. And over time, she wll like have to take more and more medication.

She has watched me lose more and more weight and says she could "never" give up bread and pasta and insists her nutritionist has no problem with these processed carbs.

My question is this....I know that a low carb lifestyle is great for diabetics and helps control blood sugar, but can it actually reverse diabetes once someone has been diagnosed? Looking for a little ammunition here so I can explain how a LC lifestyle has helped so many on this board in hopes of inspiring her...just want to have my facts straight!

Thanks!!

I truly felt I could never give up bread or pasta. Heck, for ten years I baked my own bread. I recommend she read Dr. Richard Bernstein's book "The Diabetes Solution". In it he explains exactly why diabetes does what it does to our bodies and how we can control it. We know that diabetes can't be cured but he believes that many of the terrible conditions diabetes causes can be reversed.

I know at times I must seem like a shill for "The Diabetes Solution" but I honestly believe it has given my life back to me.

Have your friend visit this forum and post any questions she may have. As you know, we are also ready to share whatever knowledge or experience we have gained in this journey.

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Ralph
"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer."
Denis Waitley

I guess it depends on how you define it, Marie. while eating low carb cannot mend a broken insulin metabolism, it CAN allow many/ost type II's to forgo medication IF they catch it early enough and IF they eat low carb all the time, religiously. It can ALSO help very much keeping blood sugars normal both to avoid the problems that come with time and to help keep the disease from getting worse.

of course a carb addict can't imagine giving it up!

I don't think there is any way you can convince this person. IF you could get her to read The Diabetes Solution, maybe, but I doubt that is possible, because SHE DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR THIS. sorry.

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A Type II can often control diabetes with the use of a low carb diet. Normalizing BG stops the damage. However, there's not a cure, just a control. And if your friend doesn't control sugar, then diabetes will control her life-completely!

I really recommend reading "Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution". It's quite an education. He does say that some of the damage can be reversed with the normalization of blood sugar. And that's a great thing to know. Hopefully, your friend will get this book and take it seriously.

I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your responses! It breaks my heart that I seem to be more concerned about her diagnosis than she does. She is not taking it seriously at all. I really want to help her, but she has to want that for herself first.

Thanks again ladies and gentlemen for your valuable feedback!!

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376/199/180
I've got a new attitude 12/04/06
And an even newer UPDATED attitude 9/1/2012

Hey Marieze,
What a great friend you are to be so concerned to find motivation for your friend -- Wow! I'm guessing she may be in denial right now and probably a bit angry too. She needs to find alternatives for the way she's eating, and hopefully she will find the information she needs. I freaked when diagnosed with Type 2 and wondered "what can I eat now?" So I searched for the people places books, websites and found the answers. Basically, just what you're doing: low carbs (not no carbs). Once she realizes this one important fact, she'll be fine. P.S. A low carb diet works so well that I reversed my condition within four months, and I continue to do so with a healthy diet that includes low carbs only, of course - Woo Hoo!

I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for your responses! It breaks my heart that I seem to be more concerned about her diagnosis than she does. She is not taking it seriously at all. I really want to help her, but she has to want that for herself first.

Thanks again ladies and gentlemen for your valuable feedback!!

Sadly that is how it is for some people. That is how they get feet amputated and go blind. By ignoring the signs and diagnosis. Remember that Paula Deen herself was in denial for along while too. Just be there for her and hopefully she can come around in a little while after taking some time to adjust. Hopefully by then it won't be too late. A lot of people think that if I just lose weight it will go away---not true. By having diabetes controlled by diet means you have to eat right FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Not just until the blood sugar goes down. That is daunting to hear. I know because my DD was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 2 years ago at age 10 and to hear that she would need insulin FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE no matter what we did....... she cried, I cried, we all cried. But we got over it and are doing what needs to be done. I will say that reading Bernstein's book was invaluable. I also got Jenny Ruhl's Blood Sugar 101 book. Loved that one. Both those were recommended by the fine folks here. That was what worked for us. She needs to do this for herself. You are so sweet in caring for your friend

This same story is repeated over and over again in this country on a daily basis. So sad!! I control my BS with a low carb diet. I make my food be my medicine and I feel so much better than when taking pills and eating crap. Your friend has to want to change though. All you can do is put the information in her hands and hope that it sinks in. What a good friend you are

I have completely normal BG numbers and A1C now, but if I stopped my LC diet those numbers would go right back up. I'm controlled, not cured.

I'm sorry your friend is in such denial. I know that's hard for you, too.

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Vilya - dog trainer and uber-geek.
Reached the beautiful town of ONEDERLAND on 7/1/2012!
Next goal: 185, to hit that Century Club mark. - ACHIEVED!! 11/4/2012
6/22/13: the 100 lb. loss only lasted a few weeks, and I've since regained some of the weight. Stats updated to reflect this.

Hi all - just wondering - my DH was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago. He was in denial and would not follow a plan nor would he take his pills. He now has decided (after a visit to the Dr the other day) that he wants to get serious about this. I was with him when he was first diagnosed but now don't remember what they said he should eat in terms of how many carbs. He doesn't need to lose weight; in fact, needs to gain some, but how many carbs a day should he be eating? He is on two meds right now, Janumet and Glimepiride.

I eat around 30 grams of carbs a day which has worked well for me. Most non-low carb doctors and dietitians say that is too low and suggest up to 200 grams of "good" carbs a day.

Since I've never met a good carb for my diabetes I'm sticking to my 30 grams of carbs a day. I do take the fiber content of the food into account and I subtract 1/2 of the the grams of fiber from the total carb count.

The one thing I found was the longer I was on a low carb diet the less meds I needed to take. I kept hitting lows. So I worked closely with my Dr. and he kept adjusting my dosages until I am controlling it with diet and exercise alone.

Good luck

__________________
________________________________
Ralph
"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer."
Denis Waitley

I was diagnosed in July 2012, A1c 12, fbg 300. now it is 5.5. was on metformin for 4 months or so, now i'm off of it due to low carb woe. I can't say i'm cured, but I am now controlled. My diabetes came on fairly quick, fasting bg was 110 dec 2011. it was like a switch went off. I hope your friend comes around. I'm like caloparr, was scared to death, that is what got me here. good luck to you and your friend. be there with information when she is ready.